Control for aircraft



N. W. DALTON.

CONTRDL FOR ARCRAFT.

APPucAnoN man JUNE 4, 1.918.

Patented Feb. 14, 19221.

anvehroz NELjON W. DALTON.

y UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

NELSON W. DALTON, OF GARDEN CITY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO C URTISS AEROPLA'N E AND MOTORCORPORATION, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

o'oiv'rnon r03 AIRCRAFT.

, moaei-i.

To all 'wh'om it may concern.-

Be it known that I, NELSON citizen of the United States, residing at Garden City, in the county of Nassau and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Controls for Aircraft, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the control of aircraft and particularly to the provision of control devices and mechanism therefor which enables the pilot to have a more perfect control of the craft than has been possible prior to this invention.

This invention relates especially to aircraft comprising ailerons or other lateral balancing surfaces and the usual elevator or elevating surfaces, the elevating surfaces being displaced from the lateral balancing surfaces along the longitudinal axis ofthe craft. In one aspect of the invention it consists in the employment of the lateral balancmg surfaces as auxiliary elevators during the ascent and the descent of. the craft, and this is accomplished in the present invention by interconnecting the elevatorsand the lateralbalancing surfaces in such a manner that when the elevating surfaces ares-actuated to control the ascent or descent of the aircraft, the ailerons are simultaneously actuated therewith to assist and act as auxiliary elevational control surfaces. The invention is illustrated as embodied in the Deperdussin typeof controlwhich comprises the usual control bridge carrying an aileron control drum and cable connections between the drum and the ailerons and also between the bridge and the elevators, whereby the ailerons are actuated through rotary movement of the drum and the elevators are actuated through afore and aft movement of'the bridge; In accordance with the presentinventionthebranch of aileron cables leading to the' aileron control drum have incorporated therein a pair of bell crank levers which are pivotally mounted on the pivotal axis of the control bridge, and on the oppo- Specification of Letters Patent.

W. DALTON, a

Patented Feb. 14, 1922.

Application filed June 4, 1918. Serial 1T0. 288,225.

control drum to effect the lateral balance of the machine, but upon a fore and aft movement of the bridge to actuate the elevator or elevating surfaces these ailerons are simultaneously and similarly actuated with respect to each other to assist the elevators in the ascent or descent of the machine. Themaneuvering of. the machine and particularly the elevation thereof is thereby accomplished more easily and consequently .the pilot has a more perfect control thereof, and

'in some instances it might be possible to lessen considerably the elevator control surfaces in view of the assistance rendered by the ailerons in the elevational control. For a better understanding of this invention reference may be had to the accompanying draw ings wherein,

Fig. 1 illustrates in a perspective View and in a more or less diagrammatic manner my invention as embodied in a control system 0 the Deperdussin type,

Fig. 2 is a similar but smaller view thereof showing the ailerons being actuated in conjunction with the elevators, and

- Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the actuation of the ailerons independently of the elevators to effect lateral balance as is usual.

Referring-to the drawings, wherein'like numerals of reference designate similar parts throughout, there is illustrated a system of control of the Deperdussin type embodyip'gg a control bridge 1, mounted on the axis for pivotal movement in .the fore and aft dir'ection, this fore and aft move ment serving in the usual manner to effect the operation of the. rearwardly disposed elevator 2, having the usual cable connections 3 leading to the control bridge 1 and connected to the opposite sides of the axis X as indicated in the drawings. The control bridge 1 carries the usual aileron control drum 4 and/the operating hand wheel 5 which through a' system of aileron control cables actuates as in the usual practice a pair of ailerons or other lateral balancing surfaces 6, these ailerons being preferably forwardly arranged and mounted for pivotal movementon the horizontal axis Y as indicated in the drawings. One branch 7 (-the upper) of the aileron control cables,

indicated as connected to the top surface thereof, leads inwardly around the pulleys.

8 and from there around an idler pulley 9 carried by the lower end of the control bridge 1, and on the opposite side of the axis X from the control drum 4. The other branch of aileron cables 10 indicated as connected to the under surfaces of the ailerons leads over the carrying pulleys 11 and is connected with the upwardly disposed members 12 of a pair of hell crank levers which are pivotally mounted on the axis X of the control bridge 1. The other members 13 (horizontally disposed) of this pair of bell crank levers are connected together by a cable 14 which passesaround the aileron control drum 4, it being understood that the bell cranks are pivotally mounted independent of each other and also independently of the control bridge 1. The drawings, as heretofore indicated, are more or less diagrammatic, but they are sufficient to illustrate one complete embodiment of this invention, it being understood that the connections between the control bridge and the other control surfaces may be of any convenient form, the conventional cables being shown for convenience in illustration.

In operation, as is clear from an inspection of Fig. 3, the ailerons or other lateral balancing surfaces may be operated in opposite directions by the rotation of the wheel 5 and the control drum 4: in the usual manner to maintain the proper lateral balance of the machine, this operation being independent of the elevator 2 and the control cables 3. In the particular instance illustrated in Fig. 3 the hand wheel 5 is indicated as rotated. in a counter-clock or lefthand direction whereby the left hand aileron 6 is caused to assume a negative angle of incidence while the right hand aileron is caused to assume a positive angle of incidence, it being obvious that the reverse operation of the control drum will actuate the ailerons in the opposite direction. In Fig. 2 is illustrated the conjunctive operation of the ailerons 6 and the elevator 2 to cause them to combine their efforts in controlling the ascent or descent of the machine and in the particular instance illustrated the control bridge 1 is oscillated in the forward direction to cause the descent of the machine, the elevator 2 being caused thereby to assume a positive angle of incidence, whereas the ailerons 6 are caused, being forwardly disposed, to assume a negative angle of incidence. By means of an aft movement of the control bridge it is obvious that the conrol surfaces would be operated reversely to cause an ascent of the machine instead of a descent, the ailerons 6 serving in both instances to assist the elevators and enhance the elevational control movement thereof. As heretofore suggested, this enables the pilot to have a more perfect control of his machine in the maneuvering of the same and it might be possible in certain instances to lessen considerably the elevator control surfaces and thereby substantially lessen the resistance to forward movement without impairing the efl ectiveness of the control.

In accordance with the requirements of the Patent Statutes I have set forth one complete embodiment of my invention but it is understood that the claims annexed hereto are not to be limited to the specific devices illustrated, except as is specifically cited therein, but are to be given a construction commensurate with the scope of the invention, due regard being had to a consideration of the prior art.

What is claimed is:

1. In an airplane, the combination with lateral balancing surfaces, an elevational control surface and a control element, of a drum carried by and movable with the control element, separate control devices movable simultaneously either in the same direction or in opposite directions, a connection between the control devices and the drum; a series connection between the control devices and the lateral balancing surfaces, and a connection between the control element and the elevational control surface, the relative arrangement of the several connections being such that fore and aft oscillation of the control bridge actuates the lateral balancing surfaces and the elevational control surface simultaneously.

2. In an airplane, the combination with lateral balancing surfaces, an elevational control surface and a control element, of a drum carried by and movable with the control element, control devices movable simultaneously either in the same direction or in opposite directions, separate cable lead connections between the control devices, one of the cable lead connections being in engage ment with the drum and other connection in series with the lateral balancing surfaces, and a cable lead connection between the control element and the elevational control surface, the relative arrangement of theyvarious control lead connections being such that fore and aft oscillation of the control element actuates the'balancing control surfaces and the elevational control surfaces simultaneously where-as rotation of the drum actuates the balancing control surfaces only.

3. In an aeroplane, in combination, a rearwardl disposed elevator, a pair of forwardly disposed ailerons, a control element carrying an aileron control drum and oscillatable fore and aft to effect the actuation of the elevators. a pair of bell crank levers mounted for pivotal movement on the pivotal axis of said control element, one member.

of each of said bell cranks being connected Jan an idler pulley carried by said control element on the opposite side of the axis from said control drum, said pulley engaging a cable connected with the opposite sides of said ailerons from said first named operating connections.

4. In an airplane, the combination with lateral balancing surfaces, an elevational control surface and a control element, of a rotatable drum carried by the control element, separate control devices movable simultaneously in the same direction when the control element is oscillated and movable simultaneously in opposite directions when the drum is rotated, a control lead connection between the control devices engageable with thedrum, a control lead connection between the control devices engageable. with the balancing control surfaces, and a control lead connection between the control element and the elevational control surfaces,

- the control'lead connections in each instance being crossed forthe purpose specified.

5. A control mechanism for aircraft comprising a pair of ailerons, a control element oscillatable fore and aft, having on its upper end an aileron control drum, said controlelement carrying an idler pulley below the pivotal axisthereof, a pair of bell crank levers mounted for pivotal movement on of control cables which passes around and is operable by said idler pulley.

6. A control mechanism. for aircraft com prising a pair of ailerons, a control element oscillatable fore and aft, having on its upper end an aileron control drum, said control element carrying an idler pulley below the pivotal axis thereof, a pair of bell crank levers, corresponding arms of said bell crank being connected together by a cable passing over said control drum and the other arms of said bell crank being connected with said ailerons by means of cables passing over a system of pulleys, said ailerons being connected together by means of another branch of control cable-s which passes around and is operable by said idler pulley.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature.

NELSON w. DALTON. 

